Debris containing device

ABSTRACT

Debris, which is collected from a lawn, for example, is compressed prior to being supplied to a bag by rotatably mounted compactor blades rotating between stripper bars, which substantially strip the debris from the blades. The debris may be picked up by rotatably mounted wires, which pass between stripper bars, so that the debris is substantially removed from the wires by the stripper bars prior to the debris being directed to the compactor blades.

United States Patent Doering 1 Dec. 2, 1975 i 1 DEBRIS CONTAINING DEVICE[75] Inventor: Charles W. Doering, Clarksville, f ExamlrllerflRobertspar Imi Assistant ExammerGeorge F, Abraham Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Frank C. Leach, Jr.

[73] Assignee: Brinly-Hardy Co., Inc., Louisville,

[22] Filed: May 6, 1974 ABSTRACT 1 1 pp 467,395 Debris, which iscollected from a lawn, for example, is

Related U.S. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 342,166, March16, 1973, Pat.

[52] U.S. Cl 298/10; 298/10 X [51] Int. Cl. B60N 1/28 [58] Field ofSearch 298/24, 25, 1O

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,399,718 5/1946 Baker298/10 X compressed prior to being supplied to a bag by rotatablymounted compactor blades rotating between stripper bars, whichsubstantially strip the debris from the blades. The debris may be pickedup by rotatably mounted wires, which pass between stripper bars, so thatthe debris is substantially removed from the wires by the stripper barsprior to the debris being directed to the compactor blades.

10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 1 of23,923,340

FIG. 4 11" f-- 3 FIG. 3

U .S. Patent Dec. 2, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,923,340

Doering and Samuel W. Smith for Rotary Brush Sweeper And Bagger, Ser.No. 331,694, filed Feb. 12, 1973, which now U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,685, isa continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 195,607, filed Nov. 4,1971, there is shown an apparatus for picking up debris and thencompressing the debris through utilization of rollers prior to thedebris being supplied to a collecting bag. In my copending applicationfor Debris Collecting Apparatus, Ser. No. 268,064, filed June 30, 1972,now U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,043 there is shown another arrangement forcompressing debris prior to it being supplied to a collecting bag. Inthis arrangement, a rotatably mounted compression roller has finsmovable in and out of orifices in the roller by a crankshaft.

The present invention utilizes another arrangement for compressingdebris which has been picked up. In the apparatus of the presentinvention, stripper means, which are preferably a plurality of U-shapedstripper bars, are located between rotatably mounted compactor bladesand disposed relative to the path of travel of the compactor blades anda surrounding housing so that the blades rotate in a rotary path about ahorizontal axis while having both compression of the debris andstripping of the debris from the compactor blades after the debris hasbeen advanced to a debris confining chamber.

The apparatus of the present invention also contemplates a pivotallymounted cover cooperating with the debris pick-up means to enable thecover to float relative to the pick-up means to accommodate relativelyheavy loads of debris. Thus, any tendency for the pickup means to beprevented from rotating by debris lodging within a fixed cover iseliminated.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for containingdebris.

Other objects of this invention will be readily perceived from thefollowing description, claims, and drawings.

This invention relates to a debris containing device for a debriscollector having an outlet in a housing defined by an upwardly extendingrim through which debris is pushed upwardly by accumulation of debristherebelow. The device comprises a hopper having an increasing crosssectional area from its bottom to its top. The hopper has an opening atits top and an opening at its bottom for communication with the outletin the housing when in a position to receive debris from the outlet inthe housing. Means pivotally mounts the hopper for movement relative tothe housing to move the bottom opening in the hopper away from itscommunication with the outlet in the housing to a position in whichdebris may fall from the hopper through the top opening of the hopper bygravity.

The attached drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of theinvention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a portion ofthe apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the apparatus ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing the supportstructure for one end of the pick-up means 2 with the chain omitted andtaken along line 33 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of theapparatus of FIG. 1 and showing a portion of the chain drive arrangementbetween the pick-up means and the compactor blades of the compressionmeans of the apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG.1 showing another form of debris containing device.

Referring to the drawings and particularly FIG. 1, there is shown aportion of a debris collecting apparatus 10. The apparatus includes aframe or chassis 1 1, which is substantially rectangular shaped. Wheels12 (one shown) are rotatably supported on opposite sides of the frame 11 whereby the frame 11 may be pulled by a tractor, for example, as moreparticularly shown and described in the aforesaid Doering et a1. patentapplication and my aforesaid patent application.

The frame 11 has a housing 14 supported thereby.

The housing 14 includes a curved bottom wall 15 and a top wall 16. Adebris discharge outlet 17 is formed adjacent the junction of the walls15 and 16. The outlet 17 is adapted to receive a debris containingdevice such as a bag 18, which collects the debris, in the manner moreparticularly shown and described in the aforesaid Doering et al patentapplication and my aforesaid patent application.

The housing 14 includes a pair of end plates 19, which are joined toopposite ends of the walls 15 and 16 and to opposite sides of the frame11. A rod 20 extends between the end plates 19 to support one end of aplurality of U-shaped stripper bars 21 within the housing 14. The otherend of each of the U-shaped stripper bars 21 is disposed within a slotor opening 22 of a downwardly depending flange 23 of the top wall 16 ofthe housing 14.

The flange 23 has the same number of the slots or openings 22 therein asthere are the stripper bars 21. Thus, each of the stripper bars 21 isdisposed within a separate one of the slots or openings 22.

The slots or openings 22 along with spacers 24 on the rod 20, which isreleasably connected to each of the pair of the end plates 19, enablethe stripper bars 21 to be separated from each other a predetermineddistance. As shown in FIG. 2, the spacers 24 are disposed between eachadjacent pair of the stripper bars 21.

The stripper bars 21 are so disposed within the housing 14 that theycooperate with the bottom wall 15 of the housing 14 to provide areceiving means or chamber 25 within which the debris is received, acompression chamber 26, which is the smallest cross sectional areaformed between the stripper bars 21 and the bottom wall 15 of thehousing 14, and a debris confining chamber 27. The debris confiningchamber 27 connects the compression chamber 26 with the discharge outlet17 and has an increasing cross sectional area from the compressionchamber 26 to the discharge outlet 17 because of the stripper bars 21and the bottom wall 15 of the housing 14 diverging away from each other.

The debris is advanced from the receiving means or chamber 25 throughthe compression chamber 26 to the debris confining chamber 27 by aplurality of rotatably mounted compactor blades 28. As shown in FIG. 2,each of the blades 28 is disposed between an adjacent pair of thestripper bars 21 with a minimum clearance therebetween.

The substantially horizontal, rotary axis of the compactor blades 28 andthe stripper bars 21 are located relative to each other so that eachblade 29 of each of the compactor blades 28 ceases to extend into thedebris confining chamber 27 approximately 90 after leaving thecompression chamber 26 and enters between the confines of the legs ofthe U-shaped stripper bars 21. The location of the U-shaped stripperbars 21 on each side of each of the compactor blades 28 aids instripping the debris from the blades 29 of the compactor blade 28. Eachof the blades 29 passes outside of the confines of the legs of theU-shaped stripper bars 21 prior to entering the receiving means orchamber 25.

Each of the blades 29 has a curved surface 30 at its end. The curvedsurface 30 enables the debris to be more easily stripped from the blade29 by the stripper bars 21.

The curved surface 30 is shaped to push material away as it passesbetween the stripper bars 21 on each side thereof. This is accomplishedby the angle relation of the blade 29 to the stripper bar 21 alwaysbeing greater than 90 so as not to pull the debris through the stripperbars 21.

Each of the wheels 12 includes a hub 31, which is rotatably supported ona round end 32 of a drive shaft 33, which is square shaped between itsround ends. The ends 32 of the drive shaft 33 extend from opposite sidesof the frame 11 in which the drive shaft 33 is rotatably supported bybearings 34 (one shown).

The compactor blades 28 are secured to the square shaped portion of thedrive shaft 33. Each of the compactor blades 28 includes two separatemembers 35 with each of the members 35 having two of the blades 29diametrically disposed to each other. Each of the members 35 has asquare shaped opening for disposition on the square shaped portion ofthe drive shaft 33. Tubular spacers 36 are disposed between each of thecompactor blades 28 to maintain the desired spacing therebetween. Eachof the members 35 of each of the compactor blades 28 is designed with anoff-set at its center to keep the tips of all of the blades 29 of eachof the compactor blades 28 in the same plane whereby the opening betweenthe adjacent stripper bars 21 is maintained at a minimum.

One of the round ends 32 of the drive shaft 33 is connected to one ofthe wheels 12 by a suitable one-way clutch 36', which is preferably thepawl drive arrangement shown and described in my aforesaid patentapplication. Accordingly, there is drive from the wheels 12 to thecompactor blades 28 so that the compactor blades 28 are rotated onlywhen the frame 11 is advanced.

The debris, which is supplied to the receiving means or chamber 25, maybe directed thereto in any suitable manner. For example, the debriscould be supplied from one or more lawn mowers in the manner shown anddescribed in my aforesaid patent application.

However, the debris is preferably supplied to the receiving means orchamber from a debris pick-up means. While the debris pick-up means maybe the brush type, for example, shown in the aforesaid Doering et al.patent application, it preferably is a wire pickup reel 37, which issupported by the frame 11.

The wire pick-up reel 37 is preferably similar to the type shown anddescribed in my copending application for Fingers For ThatchingApparatus, Ser. No. 306,353, filed Nov. 13, 1972, now abandoned. Asshown and described in my aforesaid patent applica- 4 tion, Ser. No.306,353, the pick-up reel 37 includes a plurality of wires 38, which aresupported in molded rubber sections fixed to a hollow shaft 39 by bolts,for example.

Each segment of the rubber molded section has a plurality of the wires38 arranged thereon in spaced relation in the direction of thelongitudinal axis of the shaft 39 as shown in FIG. 2. Accordingly, aplurality of sets of the wires 38 is disposed along the length of theshaft 39 with each set of the wires 38 preferably having four of thewires 38. As shown in FIG. 1, the wires 38 of each set are displaced anequal angular amount from each other so that each of the four wires 38of each set are 90 from each of the adjacent wires 38. It should beunderstood that the wires 38 of each set are not necessarily alignedwith the wires 38 of the other sets when viewed in the axial directionof the shaft 39. For example, the wires 38 could be arranged in a helixpattern.

The spacing of the sets of the wires 38 enables stripper bars 40 to bedisposed between each set of the wires 38 with a minimum clearancebetween the wires 38 and the adjacent stripper bars 40. The stripperbars 40 are supported on a frame 41, which is fixed to the bottom wall15 of the housing 14 by any suitable means such as welding, for example.

The rotary path of the ends of the wires 38 is disposed with respect tothe configuration and location of the stripper bars 40 so that thedebris is stripped from the wires 38 by the stripper bars 40 just priorto the debris entering the receiving means or chamber 25. Thus, as thewires 38 rotate clockwise, the debris is picked-up from the ground bythe wires 38 and advanced to the receiving means or chamber 25.

The wire pick-up reel 37 is rotatably supported by the frame 11. Theframe 11 has a plate 43 (see FIG. 3) secured to opposite sides of theframe 11. Each of the plates 43 has a collar 45 fixed thereto to receivea connecting pin 46. The connecting pin 46 extends through the collar 45and into a bushing 47, which is fixed to the interior of the hollowshaft 39. Accordingly, the shaft 39 rotates about the connecting pins 46at each end thereof.

Each of the connecting pins 46 is removably retained within thecooperating collar 45 by a cotter pin, for example, extending through anopening 48 in the pin 46 and aligned openings in the collar 45. Thus,the pins 46 function as a rotatable support for the shaft 39 of thepick-up reel 37.

The shaft 39 of the reel 37 is rotated from the wheels 12 through achain drive. Accordingly, whenever the frame 11 is advanced, the wires38 of the pick-up reel 37 are rotated to pick-up debris.

The chain drive includes a driven sprocket 49, which is fixed to one endof the shaft 39, and a driving sprocket 50 (see FIG. 2), which issupported on the square shaped portion of the drive shaft 33 of thecompactor blades 28. Since the shaft 33 is driven only when the wheels12 are rotated to advance the frame 11, the sprocket 50 is turned onlyat this time. Thus, when the wheels 12 are not advanced, there is norotation of the pick-up reel 37.

The chain drive also includes an idler sprocket 51 (see FIG. 3), whichis rotatably supported by one of the plates 43 of the frame 11, and achain 52 (see FIG. 4). The chain 52 passes around the sprockets 50 and51 but only over the top of the sprocket 49. As a result, the sprocket49 is rotated in the opposite direction to the sprocket 50 whereby thewires 38 rotate clockwise while the wheels 12 rotate counterclockwise toadvance the frame 11.

A cover 55 (see FIG. 1) cooperates with the wires 38 of the wire pick-upreel 37 to direct the debris to the receiving means or chamber 25. Thecover 55 has its end plates 56 pivotally connected to opposite sides ofthe frame 11 by spring loaded L-shaped pivot pins 57 being disposed inopenings in the frame 11. Accordingly, the cover 55 can pivotcounterclockwise about the pins 57 to accommodate heavy loads of debristo prevent blocking by the debris of the area formed between the cover55 and the stripper bars 40. The frame 11 has a plurality of openings ineach of its sides to enable the pivot pins 57 to be disposed atdifferent locations to change the pivot position of the cover 55.

The frame 11 can be pushed by an operator, selfpropelled, or pulled by atractor or the like. When pulled by a tractor or the like, the frame 11preferably has a braced tongue attached to the front of the frame 11 inthe manner more particularly shown and described in the aforesaidDoering et a1 patent application and my aforesaid patent application,Ser. No. 268,064, with an adjustable height means employed inconjunction therewith as more particularly shown and described in theaforesaid Doering et al. patent application and my aforesaid patentapplication, Ser. No. 268,064.

Considering the operation of the apparatus of the present invention, thedebris is picked-up by the wires 38 of the reel 37 as the frame 11 isadvanced. The clockwise rotation of the wires 38 directs the debris tothe receiving means or chamber with the debris being stripped from thewires 38 by the stripper bars just prior to the debris entering thereceiving means or chamber 25. The compactor blades 28 are rotatingcounterclockwise and advance the debris from the receiving means orchamber 25 to the compression chamber 25 and from the compressionchamber 26 to the debris confining chamber 27.

As the debris is advanced from the compression chamber 26 to the debrisconfining chamber 27, the debris confining chamber 27 fills up. As thedebris continues to be advanced from the compression chamber 26 to thedebris confining chamber 27 by the compactor blades 28, the debris iseventually forced through the discharge outlet 17 into the bag 18. Thispushing of the debris into the debris confining chamber 27 prior to itsdischarge through the outlet 17 compacts the debris so that the bag 18holds much more debris than would normally be expected.

While the present invention has shown and described the pick-up reel 37as being driven through a chain drive, it should be understood that anyother suitable means could be employed for driving the reel 37. Forexample, a friction drive from one of the wheels 12 to a friction rolleron the pick-up reel 37 could be employed. To prevent rotation of thepick-up reel 37 in the opposite direction when the frame 11 is backedup, it would be necessary to include a one-way clutch to connect thefriction roller to the shaft 39 of the pick-up reel 37, for example. Anyother suitable means for driving the pick-up reel 37 only when the frame11 is advanced could be employed if desired.

While the pick-up reel 37 has been described as being the type shown anddescribed in my aforesaid patent application, Ser. No. 306,353, so thatthatching occurs when using the pick-up reel 37, it should be understoodthat such is not necessary. Thus, the pick-up reel 37 could be replacedby any other suitable debris pick-up means, which may not thatch.

While the debris containing device has been shown and described as beingthe bag 18, it should be understood that any other type of suitabledebris containing device could be employed. For example, the bag 18could be replaced by a hopper 60 (see FIG. 5). The hopper 60 could havea pyramid shape with its top 61 having an opening and its bottom 62having an openmg.

When the hopper 60 is in the position to receive the debris from theoutlet 17, the opening in the bottom 62 of the hopper 60 communicateswith the outlet 17 through a coupling 63, which is secured to thehousing 14, so that the debris may be forced into the hopper 60. Insteadof utilizing arms 64 (see FIG. 1), which are pivotally mounted on theframe 11 to support the bag supporting frame in the manner moreparticularly shown and described in the aforesaid Doering et al.application, the arms 64 would be replaced by a pair of support straps65 on opposite sides of the frame 11.

At the upper ends of the straps 65, the hopper 60 is pivotally mountedby means of a tubular member 66, which extends around three sides of thehopper 60. The tubular member 66 has the portion on its back sidepivotally supported in a clevis 67 which is fixed to the top of each ofthe straps 65 so that the hopper 60 can pivot from the solid lineposition of FIG. 5 in which it receives the debris to the phantom lineposition of FIG. 5 in which the debris can fall from the hopper bygravity through the opening in the top 61 of the hopper 60. The tubularmember 66 is retained within each of the clevises 67 by a pin 68.

Accordingly, the pivot point of the hopper 60 is disposed above theoutlet H7. This enables pivoting of the hopper 60 to the position inwhich the debris may fall by gravity from the hopper 60 through theopening at the top 61.

If desired, a cover 69 is releasably secured to the top 61 of the hopper60. The cover 69, which is preferably formed of a porous or screen typematerial, enables the capacity of debris contained within the hopper 60to be increased almost double. This results in the need for lessfrequent stopping of the debris collecting apparatus 10 to remove thedebris from the hopper 60.

An advantage of this invention is that more debris can be placed in thebag. Another advantage of this invention is that it is relatively lightweight.

For purposes of exemplification, a particular embodiment of theinvention has been shown and described according to the best presentunderstanding thereof. However, it will be apparent that changes andmodifications in the arrangement and construction of the parts thereofmay be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I claim:

1. A debris containing device for a debris collector having an outlet ina housing defined by an upwardly extending rim through which debris ispushed upwardly by accumulation of debris therebelow comprising a hopperformed of a plurality of walls, said hopper having an opening at its topdefined by the upper ends of said walls, said hopper having an openingat its bottom for communication with the outlet in the housing when in aposition to receive debris from the outlet in the housing into thebottom of said hopper so that the debris is pushed upwardly into saidhopper, said bottom opening being defined by the lower ends of saidwalls,

said hopper having an increasing cross sectional area from said bottomopening to said top opening, and means to pivotally mount said hopperfor movement relative to the housing to move said bottom opening in saidhopper away from its communication with the outlet in the housing to aposition in which debris may fall from said hopper through said topopening of said hopper by gravity.

2. The debris containing device according to claim 1 in which saidpivotal mounting means has its pivot above the housing outlet.

3. The debris containing device according to claim 2 in which: saidpivotal mounting means includes:

a pair of straps disposed on opposite sides of the housing;

and means connected to said hopper and pivotally supported by saidstraps to pivotally connect said hopper to said straps.

4. The debris containing device according to claim 3 in which:

the housing is mounted on a mobile frame;

and each of said straps is connected to the frame.

5. The debris containing device according to claim 4 in which saidpivotal mounting means has its pivot rearward of the housing outlet andadjacent the plane containing said bottom opening 6. The debriscontaining device according to claim 4 in which said means connected tosaid hopper includes a U-shaped tubular member having each of its legsfixed to the hopper and its base pivotally supported by said straps.

7. The debris containing device according to claim 3 in which said meansconnected to said hopper includes a U-shaped tubular member having eachof its legs fixed to the hopper and its base pivotally supported by saidstraps.

8. The debris containing device according to claim 3 in which saidpivotal mounting means has its pivot rearward of the housing outlet andadjacent the plane containing said bottom opening.

9. The debris containing device according to claim 2 in which saidpivotal mounting means has its pivot rearward of thehousing outlet andadjacent the plane containing said bottom opening.

10. The debris containing device according to claim 1 in which saidpivotal mounting means has its pivot rearward of the housing outlet andadjacent the plane containing said bottom opening.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CCRRECTIQN Patent No.5,925,5QO Dated December 2, 1975 Inventor(s) Charles W. Doering It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1 line 9, cancel "which" line 9, before "is" insert --whichline16, "3,s n,o45" should be ---5,8 +9,ou5--- Column 2, line 22, "outlet"should be -outlet-- Column 5, line 58, "25" should be ---26- Column 7,lines 15 to 19 should be indented as follows:

5. The debris containing device according to claim 2 in which;

said pivotal mounting means includes:

a pair of straps disposed on opposite sides of the housing;

and means connected to said hopper and pivotally supported by saidstraps to pivotally connect said hopper to said straps.

Signed and Scaled this twenty-third 1} 0f March I 9 76 [SEAL] A ttest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner of Patentsand Trademurks

1. A debris containing device for a debris collector having an outlet ina housing defined by an upwardly extending rim through which debris ispushed upwardly by accumulation of debris therebelow comprising a hopperformed of a plurality of walls, said hopper having an opening at its topdefined by the upper ends of said walls, said hopper having an openingat its bottom for communication with the outlet in the housing when in aposition to receive debris from the outlet in the housing into thebottom of said hopper so that the debris is pushed upwardly into saidhopper, said bottom opening being defined by the lower ends of saidwalls, said hopper having an increasing cross sectional area from saidbottom opening to said top opening, and means to pivotally mount saidhopper for movement relative to the housing to move said bottom openingin said hopper away from its communication with the outlet in thehousing to a position in which debris may fall from said hopper throughsaid top opening of said hopper by gravity.
 2. The debris containingdevice according to claim 1 in which said pivotal mounting means has itspivot above the housing outlet.
 3. The debris containing deviceaccording to claim 2 in which: said pivotal mounting means includes: apair of straps disposed on opposite sides of the housing; and meansconnected to said hopper and pivotally supported by said straps topivotally connect said hopper to said straps.
 4. The debris containingdevice according to claim 3 in which: the housing is mounted on a mobileframe; and each of said straps is connected to the frame.
 5. The debriscontaining device according to claim 4 in which said pivotal mountingmeans has its pivot rearward of the housing outlet and adjacent theplane containing said bottom opening.
 6. The debris containing deviceaccording to claim 4 in which said means connected to said hopperincludes a U-shaped tubular member having each of its legs fixed to thehopper and its base pivotally supported by said straps.
 7. The debriscontaining device according to claim 3 in which said means connected tosaid hopper includes a U-shaped tubular member having each of its legsfixed to the hopper and its base pivotally supported by said straps. 8.The debris containing device according to claim 3 in which said pivotalmounting means has its pivot rearward of the housing outlet and adjacentthe plane containing said bottom opening.
 9. The debris containingdevice according to claim 2 in which said pivotal mounting means has itspivot rearward of the housing outlet and adjacent the plane containingsaid bottom opening.
 10. The debris containing device according to claim1 in which said pivotal mounting means has its pivot rearward of thehousing outlet and adjacent the plane containing said bottom opening.